Career break/benefits?

Baroque

Hi -

I'm a Primary Teacher currently on maternity leave after my third child. My husband and I both work all the time, and I'm feeling that I should give my kids that little bit more time while they're still young - so that the babyminder is not the one doing the rearing, if you know what I mean!

Thing is, we can't afford for me to stop work because my other half is self employed and his income is not reliable.

Does anyone know what benefits I would be entitled to on career break, if I'm entitled to any?

B.

Nidot

As it would be a voluntary career break you would not be entitled to JSB (Job Seekers Benefit) as this is paid out in the case where an employee loses his/her job.

You may be entitled to JSA (Job Seekers Allowance) but this is means tested, the income of your husband will mean that you're jointly assessed. If on this assessment it is deemed that you exceed the income threshold then no payment will be made.

You would continue to be entitled to the childrens allowance for your three children.

All the other allowances (rent supplement, carers, interest payments) would all be means tested similarly to JSA.

On an overall basis you would have to assess each of these based on the income of both yourself and your husband, and then compare it to the potential income of just your husband.

Your post is definitely a middle Ireland post - in that it is typical of middle class Ireland who have both partners out working, would like to give more time to the rearing of the kids but can't afford for one of them to not be earning.

I'd be interested to hear how you feel that as a teacher you'd be able to give the children more time if you could become stay at home parent.

How do you feel you spend your current non-teaching time (early finish, mid-terms, extended summer holidays) compared to let's say couple with both parents working in standard 9-5 jobs.

Baroque

Hi Nidot, thank you for your reply.

I may be a primary teacher on a 3pm finish, but most days I don't leave the school till 4 30 or 5. Corrections, preparation and other duties as I am a post holder in the school. A teacher's working day does not finish at the pupils' home time.

I also live 20 miles from where I work so by the time I collect my children (who in the case of the toddler and after October the baby) have just spent 8 hours with the babysitter, it's already 5 or after. Go home, get dinner, do homework with older child etc and it's already time for bed as the children, like me, get up quite early in order to facilitate the 20 mile commute.When the children have gone to bed, I spend my time preparing lunches and bags etc for the following day, and I often go back into the office to do some more prep. So pretty much the same as many parents in a 9-5 job. My husband is gone earlier and comes home later than I do.

It is obvious that if I became a stay at home mom for a while that I would be spending more time with my children as I would be all day with them in the case of the non schoolgoing ones. I feel that this would benefit them (and me of course!). My children are still very young. Holidays and midterms are great, but not enough for me, which is why I am considering this course of action.

B.

Nidot

From your reply B I feel that it's a case of this being something you want for the family perspective in order to spend more time with your children.

I wasn't trying to dismiss the effort you put in in any way just wanted to get clarity over the reasoning behind your choice.

From a pure financial perspective then you'd have to make the decision. Have you and your husband sat down and worked out the financial aspects of you taking a career break? A good start would be prepare a budget based on expenditure now, a budget based on proposed changes to expenditure of you staying at home, then do a 10-20% stress test on this new proposed budgets based on both ways (i.e. your husband earning 20% less or spending 20% more than expected - as i think people are always going to be a bit overly ambitous when preparing a theoretical budget).

I'm sure it would be a great situation if it works for the entire family but there's no reason for the family to suffer financially if it can be avoided.

Moonbeam

Could you mind another child along with yours to generate some extra income?
You might be entitled to FIS if your husband is on a low wage.

To get JSA you need to be actively seeking work.